The Impact of Middle School Connectedness on High School Outcomes in a Black American Sample

• In Event: Examining the Impact of School Culture and Climate on Equity and Access

Abstract

High levels of school connectedness have been shown to be beneficial for current students; however, longer-term benefits have received little attention. The current study evaluates the effects of school connectedness on middle school (MS), both present and absent, on high school (HS) outcomes and behaviors, both positive and negative, in a sample of Black American adolescents living in low-SES areas of Alabama. Higher levels of MS connectedness were significantly related to a higher probability of enrollment in the last two years of HS, higher levels of school connectedness in HS, and lower probability of suspensions in HS. High levels of connectedness in middle school can positively influence school outcomes in HS.

Authors

• Sara E. Tomek, The University of Alabama

• Anneliese C Bolland, The University of Alabama

• Lisa Marie Hooper, The University of Alabama

• Shannon Hitchcock, University of Alabama

• John Bolland, The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa